"Hakai! Look at this! There's a music festival going on in Oresas City! A lot of musicians are gonna be there! We have to go!" Candy held a flyer in front of my face.
"Candy. I'm not going to no damn festival." I lowered the paper from my face.
"Come on! This could be a chance for us to finally relax! Besides after that fight you had with Shida, you need a chance to relax." Candy looked at me with pleading eyes.
"The fight happened 3 days ago. I'm over it already. I just don't wanna go to no lame festival." I walked past Candy and went to sit on the couch.
"He never really gets out much." Maria crossed her arms and watched. "He's always been like this. He isn't one to go outside."
"Yeah. He's been a lone wolf since...forever I guess. He only recently started going out when he reunited with you." Lyn said.
Candy looked at me and I sighed then closed my eye. Candy grabbed my ear and pulled me off the couch. I yelped and covered my mouth, blushing.
"We are going to the festival! Like it or not! Arize! Arane! You're coming with us!" Candy dragged me out the door.
Arize and Arane got up and followed us to the car. Candy released my ear and I rubbed my ear and sighed then got in the car. Candy got in the car along with Arize and Arane. I started the car and drove off. Maria and Lyn looked at each other and smiled nervously.
"So why doesn't he go out much anymore truly? You've known him longer than I have." Lyn looked at the ceiling and crossed her arms.
"In the past, like you said, he was always a lone wolf. Being betrayed by his allies, losing people he cherished, dying...He saw no enjoyment in joining society anymore. He convinced himself the only person he needed was himself and Leona. Protecting the universe was a job he needed to do. That was until he got married to his first wife and had kids then they were taken away from him by Shida." Maria explained.
"But didn't he get married again? To a woman named Rinka? She was half tiger, half human right?" Lyn asked.
"Correct. He got married to her after killing Chaos for the final time. He had only one daughter...a child he loved more than the universe. Her name was Masaki. Of course he loved Emilia and Rinka dearly but Masaki was his Holy Grail. He taught her everything he knew...he truly was active at that time. There was never a moment he never took his family somewhere. Although he was a God then, he made time for his family somehow." Maria closed her eyes and smiled.
"Well? What happened? He was happier then. Why is he like this now?" Lyn looked at Maria.
"It all started with Trixy. A girl he cherished like his own daughter. She was the reason he fell so incredibly low." Maria said.
"Did she betray him?" Lyn asked.
"She didn't betray him...more like she was forced to betray him. Not betray as in she turned her back on him but as in she was forced to ignore him. The Phantom Eyes...they are a dangerous weapon only one person can use. The Goddess of Chaos, Caedi...she is the only one who can wield such eyes. Those eyes manipulate the brain...it alters the reality, the truth...it makes one see a fantasy. The user gains no power from them, all they get is a Phantom Reality." Maria opened her eyes and her eyes shined.
"Phantom...Reality..?" Lyn tilted her head.
"Listen. Caedi is the reason Hakai is the way he is. She used Trixy to complete her task. Trixy was forced to believe Nymphira, the One Above All, was the cause but sadly that isn't the case. That day...during that fight, Hakai sacrificed his life for Trixy." Maria turned her head. "When I got news that he was dead, it broke my heart."
"Who are you really?" Lyn asked.
"I come from the Zodiac Timeline like Shida. I worked in New Cipher. My name is Bunny. I was his closest ally." Maria smiled.
Lyn looked at Maria and Maria looked at Lyn then nodded and walked off. Lyn watched then saw Ryoko walking towards her.
Meanwhile...
"We are here! I wonder what band we are gonna meet! Who are we gonna see first?!" Candy asked excitedly.
"I don't know anyone here. The place I came to all the time is gone also. I literally have no reason to be in the area." I placed my hands in my jacket pockets.
"Oh stop being a downer! Loosen up! Have some fun! You always have that resting bitch face on! Show me a smile!" Candy smiled at me.
I looked at her and saw her smile. I closed my eyes and walked past her then Arize and Arane watched me. Candy puffed her cheeks and ran after me. Arize and Arane followed. A woman watched from the background and set down a paper. She smiled then stood up.
"Hakai look at this! It's a band full of birds!" Candy pointed.
"Lame." I said.
"I agree...nobody wants to listen to a band named Chirpers." Arize said.
"Both of you are party poopers.." Candy puffed her cheeks.
We kept walking around and stopped, hearing a song. I looked at the band and saw the crowd jamming out to the song. I walked towards the crowd and read the sign.
"This band is called Phantom Ones. Seems like they are performing a song called Phantom Eyes." Candy watched beside me.
I watched the band and noticed the lyrics. Arize and Arane noticed my body shaking a bit. Candy looked at me and looked worried. I kept focusing on one line.
"She only saw what the Phantom wanted her to see." I said. "She couldn't think for herself, she didn't know what to believe."
"Hakai..?" Candy touched my arm.
"No matter what I do, she won't escape my memory. She always follows. Trixy." My hair covered my eyes and I flew off.
"Hakai!" Candy looked at me.
"What's wrong with Big Brother..?" Arize asked.
"I don't know.." Candy looked at Arize and Arane. "All I know is we gotta find him."
I landed on top of a building and held my head then memories began rushing in my head. I grit my teeth and my canine teeth grew sharper. My hair slowly sparked and turned into flames.
"Why...can't I just forget?!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I yelled loudly and my eyes flashed red.
"Hakai." A woman walked up to me and grabbed my shoulder.
I looked surprised and looked back. The woman looked at me and smiled gently. We shared a brief moment of silence then I calmed down. The woman's aura radiated motherly love.
"I felt your energy spiralling out of control. Why do you keep holding your pain back instead of letting people know..? You're only hurting yourself.." The woman said.
"You wouldn't understand...you wouldn't understand how it feels to lose everything around you and having to start over with nothing!" I said and looked away. "The only thing you're left with are memories of someone you can never get back. Memories of those who wronged you. Memories of your family dying. You wouldn't understand."
The woman closed her eyes and turned around then smiled. She placed her hands in her pockets then looked at the sky.
"I do know how you feel. I lost someone I saw as a son. It's hard accept the fact that he's no longer the same. I've been watching over him since he was a child... throughout multiple timelines even now..he doesn't recognize me nor my voice. It's sad to see." The woman said.
"Tch...our situations aren't the same. The way you explained it, he could very well still be alive." I said.
"He is...But he wouldn't speak to me." The woman said.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Where are my manners? My name is Melida." Melida smiled.
"Melida.." I glared at the ground. 'I've heard that name from somewhere before..'